


from zero to my own hero

by Marishna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Crack, Derek Tries, Gen, Katy Perry - Freeform, alpha!Derek, idek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-23 21:04:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Apparently Derek’s realized he’s a closet pop aficionado,” Isaac replied then, after watching his alpha and guardian raise his arms in the air, shaking it like he indeed didn’t care, added, “Or not so closeted now, I guess.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	from zero to my own hero

**Author's Note:**

> Written for challenge #11 for keysmashblog’s fix-it-ficlet fest.
> 
> Uh, I don’t even know what the fuck this is, you guys. I started off the week thinking that Katy Perry’s “Roar” would make a good “Fuck yeah, I’m Derek Hale!” video that I would not make myself but would try to tempt someone else into doing (would still like to see such a thing, actually). But then this came about when I was thinking about this week’s episode and poor Derek maybe finding an iota of happiness out of stupid, inspirational pop music. It’s kinda cracky but kinda not at once. It went both directions on me. Either way, I wish I’d had a little more time on it, but whatever, did what I could.
> 
> So Derek Hale? You rock on with your bad self, buddy!

The first time it happened the music blasted out of the SUV speakers, causing both Derek and Isaac to wince. 

_Baby you’re a fiiiiiiiirework!_

Derek lunged forward and snapped the sound system off, muttering something about Cora’s shitty taste in music.

Cora left for college a couple weeks prior but Isaac, for once, didn’t bring up this fact or the choice in music, knowing full well that Cora would have rather stabbed herself in the eardrums with her own claws than listen to Katy Perry.

The drive to school that morning was silent.

*************

See, here’s the thing.

After the alpha pack thing and Derek giving up his alpha-hood to save his sister, then getting it back when he was able to slay Kali during the lunar eclipse--it left Derek with a major question mark over his head.

His life would never be normal to the point he could use a ‘90s teen movie as a template for his path to a happy ending, but other werewolves managed to have a functional, quiet existence. They knew who they were.

Derek never had the chance to figure that out. After the final fight with the alpha pack his mind kept flashing to that speech the 10th Doctor gave in the first Christmas special (Laura made him watch, pretending to coerce him just so he wouldn’t have to admit he liked it. He didn’t want to admit he liked it because that might come off as nerdy. Although _Doctor Who_ turned out to be cool, but Derek couldn’t just come out and say he’d been watching it forever because he might seem like he was just pretending. Maybe he was one of those “hipster” people. Was Derek a hipster?) when he’d just regenerated and woken up. 

_I'm the Doctor. But beyond that I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy? Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed, left-handed? A gambler, a fighter, a coward, a traitor, a liar, a nervous wreck?_

That was Derek--untested. 

*************

The second time it happened Scott spent almost 10 minutes knocking on the loft door, trying to do the “mature adult” thing and not barge right in even though he knew Derek was inside. It was rude and potentially life threatening for one alpha to intrude on the territory of another alpha, as unaware and lacking as that alpha might be.

So Scott waited. And waited.

And waited some more.

Finally Isaac turned up and rolled his eyes at Scott’s attempt to be polite. 

“He’s probably got his headphones in,” Isaac explained as he pulled the heavy door open. Together they stepped inside the loft, then froze at the sight.

Derek, indeed with his headphones in, was ... doing some semblance of what he probably thought was “rocking out”. He was moving awkwardly in the middle of the loft, wiggling his butt and shaking his hips, presumably in time with the music. His back was to the door and he was completely oblivious to his audience.

“What... what’s he doing?” Scott asked, his mouth open.

“He’s had a lot of time on his hands since the alpha thing. I think he’s trying to find himself,” Isaac explained with a shrug. 

Scott cocked his head, listening closely. “Is that Katy Perry?”

“Her and Sara Bareilles and some Britney. I think I’ve been hearing some One Direction and Miley, too. Apparently Derek’s realized he’s a closet pop aficionado,” Isaac replied then, after watching his alpha and guardian raise his arms in the air, shaking it like he indeed didn’t care, added, “Or not so closeted now, I guess.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

Derek must have felt the pair of burning gazes boring into his back because he wheeled around and froze, arms in the air like he just didn’t care.

He paused the ipod and pulled the headphones out.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough, man,” Isaac replied when Scott wouldn’t look Derek in the eye.

*************

Isaac and Stiles ended up sharing a couple classes so they studied together. So much so that after a while Stiles ended up studying in the loft on a regular basis because it wasn’t full of anything to distract him.

It wasn’t full of much of anything, to be honest, but the last time Stiles mentioned it to Derek the alpha replied with some line about people taking everything from him but him only needing all the parts of himself.

Stiles invited Isaac over to his place to study more after that.

*************  
“Uh, guys?” Early on a random Tuesday morning Lydia approached Scott, Isaac, Allison and Stiles before class. She looked troubled, to say the least.

“Lydia? What’s wrong?” Stiles asked.

“I think... I think Derek tried to comfort me over breaking up with Aiden last night with ‘Firework’ lyrics?” Lydia said slowly, as if still trying to parse what she was saying.

Isaac groaned and thumped his head against his locker while everyone else just shrugged and shifted uncomfortably.

“Did he sing the song for you?” Stiles asked. Lydia shook her head, horrified. “You’re lucky.”

*************

As weird as it all was it _worked_.

Katy Perry: werewolf inspiration.

Who knew?

Derek Hale was becoming a better person. A better werewolf and friend and guardian, brother, nephew- a better _Derek Hale_.

Other packs heard rumblings and whispers about a fortified Hale territory once again. Some came out of curiosity, some came out of a desire for power.

Those who came for less friendly purposes all left empty handed and a simple promise.

“You’re gonna hear me roar.”


End file.
